Towing-boat



J. COLLINS. Y TUWING BOAT.

m tented Aug. 21.18.83

n. Prrens. Pmoummpm. wmmpm ne,

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEa f h TowlNe-BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 283,573, dated August 21, 1F83,

- Appnmnnn meu February 1:1, issn. (man 'i To dlt whoml it may concern:

Beit known that I, Jenn-COLLINS, of Gloucester, in the countyv of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefull lniproueinents in TowingBoats, Scows, and Crafts of all Kinds; and I do hereby declare 'the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others Vskilled in the art to which it pertains to malte and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which forni a part of this specification. V

My invention relates to an improvement in towing-boats, scows, andY crafts of all kinds; and it. consists in the combination of a boat having a projection at each end, a brace-rod which is stretched from one end of the boat to the other, and the cover which is stretched over the top of the boat and the rod, and which is provided with means for attachment kto the edges of the boat, as will be more fully. described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to 'connect the two ends ofthe boat together, so that the strain in towing the boat will be divided equally upon both ends of the boat instead of coming wholly upon one, and to provide the boat with a suitable cover in such a way as to prevent the boat from becomingiilled with water, either from storms or while being towed Vin rough water.

Figure l is a plan view of a boat embody ing my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

A represents a boa-t, scow, or craft of any desired shape, size, or construction, and which has'a suitable projection, B, extending above its top edge at each end. Where a craft of any hind is being towed, atow-line is fastened to one end, and the whole strain is brought to bear upon that end alone, to the great dam age of the craft. 'In order to overcome this objection and to divide the strain equally upon all parts of the boat alike, a jointed brace-rod, C, having van eye, D, upon each end to catch over theprojections B, is used. This rod is provided with a pivoted support, G, to sustain the`weight of the rod at or near its center, and thus prevent it from sagging down.

5o After the eyes have been slipped over the projections B, the swivel E is turned'until the rod is perfectly taut, and then when the towliue is fastened to either end of the craft the strain is divided equalljT over all parts of the boat. One great advantage of this rod consists in its forming a raised support for the cover l, as shown in 2, above the deck of the boat, so that ample space will be left for the storage of the fishing-nets. The cover both serves to prevent the boat from iilling with water and as a protector for all articles leftupon its deck, which would be washed away by the waves.

Vhile the craft is being towed it becomes vcrjr necessary to prevent waves from washing over the craft and either filling the craft or damaging its contents.' .To prevent this l provide a water-proof cover, I, of any suitable material, and which will be shaped Aso as to correspond to the shape of the craft to which it is to be applied. This cover has a number of eyelet-holes, J, made all along its edge at suitable distances apart, and just about opposite to each hole is secured a loop, O, of suitable length. Around each edge of the craft is secured a rib or rod, l?, which has a number of recesses, Q, made through its inner edge, next to the boat, for the loops to pass through.

These recesses or holes through the rib will be made to correspondin distance apart to the eyeletsthrough the cover. In fastening the cover down upon the boat a loop is passed up through one of the holes Q in the rib, and up through the eyelet, which comes just opposite to the hole. rlhe next loop to it is passed up through the loop and its eyelet, and through'` the loop which was just brought up at its rear, and so on to the end of the boat. As each loop passes over the loop just in front of it, each loop is made to secu rc the other in place until the end of the boat is reached, where the last two loops may be 'tied or otherwise fastened together around the projection B. The cover at each end will be cut away, so as to correspond to' the projections, and thus the cover will be made to inclose the craft so thoroughljr that no water can get in either from storms or from v the'waves which may wash over the craft while being towed. Either this lacing may be be! gun at the center and run toward each end of the boat, or the lacing` may ybegin at one end stretched over the top of the boat andV rod, and

alone. provided with means for. securing its edges Having thus described my invention, I along the gunwaie, the brace-rod serving as an cizinintermediate support for the cover, snbstanf 15 5 The combination, with the boat provided at tiztlly as shown.

each of its endsv with .zt vertical projection, of In testiinonywhercof I affix my signature in the ljointed brace-rod adapted tobe secured presence of twowitnesses. 'at its ends to such projections, and provided with an intermediate turn-buckle, or its equiv- Vitliesses: f io aient, to serve as a means for bracing'the boat B. A. BAKER,

fore and zt'ft, and the cover adapted to be N. H. PHILLIPS.

, JOHN ooL'LiNs. 

